Saturday, December 7, 2013

Review: CND Vinylux Weekly Polish Forbidden Mini Collection

Newly released from CND, the Vinylux system is a weekly nail polish. It claims to last a full week on the nails without a base coat and dry very quickly. It comes with a top coat that must be used over each shade to ensure its staying power, and the polishes are said to strengthen their resistance to chips through exposure to natural light.

The set includes six Vinylux Weekly Polishes and one Vinylux Weekly Top Coat. These mini bottles contain 3.7 ml. I tried out the shades and was surprised to find that each polish has a different formula and finish. Also, the package directions recommend using just two coats of polish which was enough for some shades but not all. That said, it’s true that the polishes dry very quickly. I found that if I accidentally got a bit of polish on my cuticles, by the time I reached for my orange stick, the polish on my skin was dry and I had to get some remover to clean my skin. This is a bit frustrating for those who like to clean smudges while painting; however, I did not have to account for any drying time between coats and I was able to paint my nails rather quickly. Another benefit of these polishes is their scent. They do not smell nearly as harsh as most polishes that I have tried and the faint smell quickly dissipated as soon as the polish dried rather than lingering in the air for hours. Also, from what I have observed, all of the shades in this set (with the help of the top coat) do last for at least a week (usually longer).

Here are my thoughts on each shade:

Burnt Romance: For me, this shade was the most difficult to work with. The first coat looked very smooth upon application but the next coat was rather streaky. I added a third coat to attempt to smooth out the streaks. It helped a bit but I was not completely satisfied with the finished product. This polish had the thickest formula of all the cream finish shades in this set. As for the colour, I would describe it as a reddish-orangey brown with a cream finish. Normally shades like this don’t complement my cool toned skin but I like how the colour of this one looks on my nails.

Tinted Love: This creamy berry shade applied smoothly and dried to a glossy finish. Only two coats of this one were needed since it is very opaque and dries evenly. The formula was thinner than that of Burnt Romance and it glided on the nails effortlessly. My only complaint is that this one left my nails and cuticles with a light berry stain that took a few days to fade once I had removed the polish. I was expecting this though since colours with red or dark pink undertones are often difficult for me to remove and I did not use a base coat with this one so it had more direct contact with my nails.

Dark Dahlia: This polish is my favourite in the set but it did surprise me a bit. First of all, it looks very dark in the bottle and in the photos above, but it was the thinnest, sheerest formula in the whole set and it required three coats to reach opacity. These three coats were very even and smooth and dried very quickly. Like Tinted Love, Dark Dahlia was not streaky, very easy to apply, and it dried to a shiny finish. The colour looks black upon first glance but it is a beautiful deep creamy blackberry that flashes its purple undertones when it catches the light.

Blue Rapture: In my opinion, this medium blue cream is the most unique shade in the collection. I do not own anything like it and it was the first polish to catch my eye when I opened the package. It’s a brighter shade compared to the others but it is very winter appropriate and would look nice during the warmer months as well. The formula of this one is very interesting. It required only two coats to become opaque and even but it dried to a sheen-like finish rather than a gloss. It almost looked like damp wall paint when it was dry and I could see some subtle brush strokes even after it was set. The brush strokes melted away once I applied the top coat.

Night Glimmer: Out of all the polishes in the set, this one had the thickest formula. The polish is so thick that it is almost impossible for a drop of polish to fall from the brush. However, the polish is in no way sticky and it had the fastest drying time. Night Glimmer is also incredibly opaque which is quite surprising considering its glittery finish. It was opaque after just one coat but I applied two. The colour is a bit difficult to describe. The base is a dark grey with pewter shimmers. Sometimes when the light catches it, I see hints of tan coloured glimmers. Whereas most of the polishes dried to a naturally glossy finish, this one was rather flat and reminded me of the suede polishes from OPI. The topcoat helped add a bit of shine.

Steel Gaze: This glitter polish is much thinner and sheerer than Night Glimmer. It applies very smoothly and does need three coats. It can be worn on its own though and does not need to be applied over another polish to show up. This shade has a silvery green base with gold and silver glitters. It dries to a glossier finish than Night Glimmer and the shimmer is much brighter and more eye catching.

The last polish in the set is the Weekly Top Coat. While this product does help extend the life of the polishes and prevent chipping, it does not provide the glossy finish that I’m used to. It gives a bit of shine but doesn’t leave a glassy, reflective finish like Seche Vite or Poshe. It’s also not as thick as those top coats but it is very fast drying. This top coat needs to be applied quickly to avoid streaks.

Overall, I really like the concept of these long wearing polishes and and they are a great option for someone looking for polishes that don’t need to be touched up or reapplied often. The colours are perfect for a range of skin tones and they are very appropriate for the current season. I would love to see if CND comes out with a Vinylux collection for spring and summer.